“There are two types of the vaccine available: the flu shot, an inactivated vaccine containing fragments of killed influenza virus, and a nasal-spray, which is made using a weakened live flu virus. The nasal spray will most likely be the first to be widely distributed, however certain groups, including pregnant women, young children and people [...]

“Preparations for a potential outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus are well under way in Missouri, a state health official said Monday night. Eddie Hedrick, emerging infections coordinator for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said the virus has laid claim to being the fastest-moving pandemic on record. Mr. Hedrick spoke before about [...]

“The swine flu pandemic could kill millions and cause anarchy in the world’s poorest nations unless £900m can be raised from rich countries to pay for vaccines and antiviral medicines, says a UN report leaked to the Observer. The disclosure will provoke concerns that health officials will not be able to stem the growth of [...]

Two more people have died in New York City after contracting swine flu, bringing the total number of deaths here from the virus to seven, city health officials said yesterday. The latest fatalities were both adults in their 40s, the Health Department said, declining to release further details. (NY Post)

The spread of H1N1 flu in Australia, Britain, Chile, Japan and Spain has nudged the world closer to a pandemic, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday. The newly-discovered strain had caused more infections than seasonal influenza at the start of Chile’s flu season, raising concern about how it would spread in the southern hemisphere, [...]

The new influenza strain circulating around most of the United States is putting a worrying number of young adults and children into the hospital and hitting more schools than usual, U.S. health officials said on Monday. The H1N1 swine flu virus killed a vice principal at a New York City school over the weekend and [...]

The number of U.S. cases of swine flu has risen to 3,000 – an increase of 400 from Monday’s released figures. Three deaths have been reported. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says more cases and fatalities are likely. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the swine flu outbreak in the United [...]

Senior senators criticized the Homeland Security Department on Wednesday, saying it was not doing enough to prevent people infected with swine flu from entering the United States. Lawmakers at a Capitol Hill hearing urged Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to take stronger steps than those now being used by Customs and Border Protection, who look [...]

The number of people infected with swine flu increased rapidly across the world Wednesday as health officials scramble to get more information about the virus for which there is no vaccine. (CNN)

Disease trackers are asking U.S. hospitals to help follow a new strain of swine flu and are trying to determine whether it’s related to hundreds of illnesses and 57 deaths in Mexico. A previously unseen variant of H1N1 swine influenza has sickened at least seven people in California and Texas, the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for [...]